Prabhash Gokarn, Head of Raw Material Projects at Tata Steel, gave a presentation on mining and sustainability to the Mining Engineers' Association of India in Bhubaneswar. He discussed three views on development versus sustainability: unabated production, environmental restrictions, and an uncertain middle ground. Gokarn explained that mining necessarily depletes resources but can contribute to sustainable development by enhancing benefits and mitigating harms. Rational development must provide adequate living standards, individual growth, and sustainable systems of governance. Achieving sustainability is challenging but has immense rewards like reduced poverty and open governance.

1. MINING ENGINEERS’ ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (MEAI)
Bhubaneswar Chapter
Workshop at Sukinda Chromite Mines, Tata Steel
28th Feb'14
Prabhash Gokarn
Head Raw Material Projects
Tata Steel

2. Disclaimer
The presentation is an amalgamation of author’s own
views and thoughts.
Tata Steel does not necessarily subscribe to the views and
thoughts expressed in the presentation and should not be
held responsible for the same.
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel

3. Presentation Structure
1. Three Views on Development v/s Sustainability
4-8
2. Mining and Sustainability
9 - 15
3. Rational Development - “fair” to stakeholders
16 - 20
4. Sustainable Development : Need & Reward
21 - 24
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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4. ….a developer is one who is yet to
build his house, champions of
sustainability are already well
ensconced in theirs….
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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5. Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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6. First View .….
Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine in
California, United States. The mine,
owned by Molycorp Inc., once
supplied most of the world's rare
earth elements.
Chemical processing of ore stopped
since 1998 and the mine was fully
closed in 2002, in response to
environmental restrictions .
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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7. Second View ….
Description of Rare Earth Mining near
near the city of Ganzhou, in in Jiangxi
province, China :
Miners use a chemical extraction process
that involves digging several holes of just
a few feet in depth and feeding pipes into
the holes. A concentrated mixture of
chemicals is then pumped through the
pipes, leaching out rare earth metals as it
passes.
It is incredible that such a low-tech
method is used to harvest minerals that
are used in some of the world's most
technologically advanced products…
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
Horrendous levels of pollution at Jiangxi
at any cost
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8. The Confused View….
Unabated Production : Expansion
Kerala Mineral & Metals : In God’s own
country, water heavily contaminated with
monazite, iron fluoride and magnesium, high
number of cancer patients.
CLOSED
Kudramukh Iron Ore Company : In Karnataka :
mine has one of highest iron ore grades in the
world.
Not operating since 2005….
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9. Hope yet, Convergence of the Debate..
INDIA
?
MolyCorp has reopened
MountainPass Mine since
Aug’13
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
China Announces $1.6 Billion
Pollution Fund….
Government has seized control of
rare earth mining after finding
widespread illegal stripmining(Feb-14)
8

10. Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
9

11. …. Mining uses up the resources which
promotes it, thus it must catalyze the
development of other economic activities
and also generate enough positive impacts to
assist in sustainable development ….
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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12. Mining & Sustainability
 Mining necessarily ends up depleting the resource it uses and is
characterized by negative impacts.
 However, it has significant potential for making positive impact. It
is possible for mining to contribute to sustainable development
through:
 Enhancing the benefits while mitigating the negative impacts
both when mining is taking place and subsequently as well as
 Improving stakeholder participation in the management of the
resources.
 This is however easier said than done…
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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13. Sustainable development
Sustainable Development is
developing in such a way that
future people will have
“enough and as good”*
* Phrase from John Locke, 1690
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14. Sustainable Development
Development that :
 meets the needs of the present
without
 compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
a)
How much into the future
b)
Are we underplaying the role of technology?
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15. How Much Into the Future ?
D
2014
2025
2050
2075
2100
D = Development : e.g. Development of a Mine
Must we sacrifice just as much for people in the
far future as for people in the near future?
Why must we leave as much and as good for
future people? What if that requires us to
sacrifice money, work, time, satisfaction, etc.
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16. Two Views?
Defenders of Future People
Discounters of Future People
Earth’s resources belong to all,
no matter when they “arrive”.
Locke (1690)
We should sacrifice “less for them”
– not “should totally dismiss”.
We have borrowed the earth
from our Children….
- Can’t create new land
- Conservation of biodiversity
- Population control
Nearer future people are closer
relatives of ours, so we have
stronger obligations to them.
Future people will be richer than
us; poor don’t have to help rich.
They will have technology
we can’t predict.
Development
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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17. Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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18. Rational Development will….
 Stay within the capacity of ecosystems to absorb change.
 Provide an adequate standard of living for those who do not
have enough, in area of influence.
 Create conditions in which individuals
and groups can develop their
potential, enrich lives, advance
technology.
 Develop systems of governance which
promote and sustain these goals.
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19. Key Principles
1. Leadership
2. Collaboration
3. Corporate Social Responsibility
4. Sustainability
5. Communication
The Miner of the 21st Century must
know:
1. How to monitor emissions
2. How to protect the
environment
3. How to restore a mine site
back to other uses
6. Community Engagement
4. How to get along with the
neighbours
Mining today is a balance of three elements:
1. Techno-economic issues
2. Environmental issues
3. Socio-political issues
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20. At all stages…
 Before mining
– plan for the neighbourhood
 During operation
– protect the environment
 After operation
– plan for closure
– mitigate/restore the site
– sustain the communities
– sustain the company
Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
Rigorous Environmental
Impact Assessment
process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Land degradation.
Deforestation.
Subsidence.
Air pollution.
Water pollution.
Soil Pollution.
Abandoned Mine
X
Planned Closure √
Sustaining the
Community –
alternate employment
19

21. Key Challenges
 Setting up and expansion of mining operations
 Increase in workforce to support expansion
 Accommodating the workforce – impact on forest areas
 Impact of Operations on the environment
 Balancing Local and National interests – local livelihood v/s
mineral for development
 Immediate, short, medium and long term management
issues.
 Mine Closure….
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22. Prabhash Gokarn : Tata Steel
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23. Urgency for Sustainable Development
 Globalization means that many problems are no longer simply local or
national concerns.
 Growing evidence that ecosystems are seriously out of balance, posing
new and poorly understood risks.
 The problem of poverty is inseparably linked with global ecological
problems which cannot be solved unless people have a stake in the
outcome and the resources to manage the problems.
 Governance systems have not yet emerged for the reality of a
globalized economy.
 Increased awareness and expectations flowing from the new world
information regime.
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24. Rewards of Sustainable Development
• Production consumption and living patterns consistent with
ecological balance.
• Dramatic reduction of the numbers of people living in poverty.
• Greater opportunity to develop individual and group potential.
• More open, cooperative, transparent and consensual systems of
governance.
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25. Sustainable
Development
is Difficult
But the Rewards
are Immense
prabhash.gokarn@gmail.com
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